The travel plans of full-time RVers are impacted by aspects of everyday life that affect everyone. Doctor appointments, the occasional emergency, vehicle repairs, and other commitments can carve unexpected chunks out of the calendar. After our winter break and some unforeseen adjustments to our spring calendar, we found ourselves with a block of time that needed a revised travel plan.

In other years, we’ve experienced spring in the West. This year, we chose to stay east of the Mississippi (mostly) and create a southern loop that would dovetail with other calendar commitments.

Murrell’s Inlet, SC
By late March, we had worked our way to Huntington Beach State Park, near Myrtle Beach. This park has beach access, woodsy areas, and nature trails. Birds, alligators, and rock-clinging oysters share the park’s private bay.

The park borders a bike trail that goes to Murrell’s Inlet, where Lee’s Market is a favorite destination. Stepping inside is like being transported to a New York deli. Aromas of home-cooked Italian specialties and fresh bread fill the air. Decision-making is tough – especially for folks riding bicycles. We settled on eggplant rollatini, pasta, and fresh strawberries and somehow managed to safely transport everything back to camp.

Still in South Carolina, we spent a couple days on St. Helena Island at Hunting Island State Park. Early in the season, the beaches were almost deserted. A twisty drive out to a very photogenic lighthouse and easy beach walks made for a few restful days.

Oak Mountain, Alabama
Near Birmingham, we stayed at Oak Mountain State Park. This park was renovated in 2024 and has all new amenities for campers. The campground borders a lake with a beach and fishing docks, trails, and a nature center. We could have stayed longer and enjoyed more of the park’s offerings. Next time!

We did make a day trip into Hoover, AL, to see Aldridge Botanical Gardens. Formerly a private garden, this petite garden is a fun visit. A walking path around the lake took us past quirky sculptures, deciduous azaleas in bloom, and interesting plant collections. Michael Dirr’s hydrangea collection is here. It was a good afternoon stroll.

Grenada, MS
The Mississippi River is one of the world’s most fickle. Flooding has been a forever issue. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 affected an area of 27,000 square miles. More than 130,000 homes were lost and 700,000 people were displaced. The Flood Control Act of 1936 set the stage for the Army Corps of Engineers to construct a series of dams for flood control.

The Grenada Dam created the Grenada Lake, which is the largest body of water in Mississippi. Many of these dam sites have recreation areas managed by the Corps of Engineers. We stayed at North Abutment, one of the COE campgrounds on Grenada Lake. The visitor center has one of the best interpretive displays we’ve visited. It catalogs the area’s history and the dam’s construction in a timeline fashion. It’s well worth a visit, even if you’re not camping in the park.

Star City, Arkansas
The Mississippi Delta includes Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Arkansas? We decided it was time to explore a bit more of Arkansas.

The Delta Heritage Trail is a 44-mile rail to trail in southeast Arkansas. Originally part of the Southern Pacific Railway, when completed, the trail will stretch 84 miles. We camped at Cane Creek State Park near Star City to access the trail at Watson.

Our bike ride took us through farmland, forest, and bottomland. We crossed the Arkansas River and saw part of the bayou that reaches into Arkansas.

The trail is very scenic, but we were struck by the poverty of neighboring towns. Well, historically, wealthy folks didn’t live near “the tracks,” so that heritage remains.

Life Interrupted
The trail also goes right through Rohwer, a “blink and you’ll miss it” town. However, between 1942 and 1945, Rohwer was a Relocation Center for more than 8,000 Japanese Americans from California. Their lives were turned upside down by this relocation; recovery would take a generation and tremendous resilience. All that physically remains of this sad piece of history are a cemetery and a few monuments.

Interpretive signage tells part of the story, but one can only imagine the hardship endured here. Though our visit here was brief, it was important and will be remembered.

Hot Springs, Arkansas
Lake Catherine State Park was our basecamp for exploring the Hot Springs area. We had a lakeside site with a great view of a defunct power plant. So, we focused our gaze in the other direction…and enjoyed spring flowers, birdwatching, and waterside breezes.

Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs
This 200-acre woodland garden along Lake Hamilton was once the personal garden of Verna Cook Garvan. Garvan, at a young age and at a time when women weren’t company CEOs, was a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. She willed the garden to the University of Arkansas and it is now its Botanical Garden.

The garden has wonderful bones, or should I say rocks? I have never seen so many massive boulders artfully placed in a garden. They are configured into waterfalls, Japanese-themed spaces, and serve as centerpieces throughout.

We were a little late for the azalea season, but we did enjoy a great variety of spring plants and blooming trees. We also met a peacock who was indeed proud and willing to pose for photos.

One of the garden’s most stunning features is the Anthony glass chapel designed by Jennings and David McKee. Set in private glade with additional buildings for bridal parties and receptions, it has become a very popular wedding venue for Hot Springs.

Downtown Hot Springs, AR
Hot Springs has attracted visitors interested in the spring’s healing properties for generations. All sorts of visitors, from Presidents to movie stars and sports figures to mobsters came here. A self-guided walking tour of the town and bath houses paints a picture of a town with a colorful history. Honestly though, some of the bathing apparatus in the bath houses looked like torture devices. Today, it’s a National Park, tourist destination, and spa retreat.

Hotels and bath houses were, and still are, glamorous, each trying to outdo the rest. Some historic bath houses remain; some are being carefully restored. Spring waters fill the fountains throughout town.

Steamy waters, too hot to touch, flow in pocket parks around town. We managed to find a spring location where we could fill our water jugs with cold spring water. Interestingly, the water coming out of the springs today fell as rain nearly 4,500 years ago, at the same time the pyramids were being built. It is delicious and worth the wait.

Hot Springs is also home to Bridge Street, the world’s shortest street in everyday use. Each March, it’s painted green for the world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade. Don’t be late, you’ll miss the parade!

North Little Rock, AR
We repeated a visit to North Little Rock and stayed at the Downtown Riverside County Park. The park is on the Arkansas River, close to the Clinton bridge.

This time, we visited the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. What a great experience. Three floors of history; so much happened during Clinton’s Presidency. It’s almost too much for one visit. There are detailed recreations of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room, as well as historic videos and Clinton’s papers.

We also appreciated the special exhibit “Making Amends,” which explained how constitutional amendments are forged and become law…or not.

The building is designed to look like a bridge, metaphorically symbolizing Clinton’s desire to build a bridge to the 21st century and also a nod to Little Rock’s Six Bridges. The Clinton Foundation and donors renovated the railroad bridge and turned it into a pedestrian walkway. It’s also a great spot for watching Little Rock sunsets.

Bull Shoals, AR
Not too far from the Missouri border, we spent a few days at Bull Shoals State Park on the White River.

From our riverside campsite we watched fishermen and birds. Fishing is the big sport here and quite a business. Groups hire guides to help them find the best fishing spots.

From where we watched, it looked like the herons were more successful in catching fish. But for humans, fishing isn’t always about catching fish, is it?

This area is made up of small towns. We decided to go out for dinner but quickly discovered that it was Prom night in Bull Shoals. The lodge near our park and the few local restaurants were fully booked with pre-prom dates. We were lucky to make an early reservation at the 178 Cafe, which is also a bowling alley. Turned out to be a lovely, old-fashioned dinner. Quiet dining room, good food, reasonably priced – a very nice evening in a small town.

Arkansas small towns…I thought Flippin was a terrific name for a town. Then down the road, we came to Yellin, which was even better. In Yellin you could TYPE IN ALL CAPS ALL DAY LONG. and you could use your outdoor voice all the time. “Where are you from?” “I’M FROM YELLIN. WHAT”S IT TO YA?” If you get tired of yelling, you could move to Flippin. They still have room.

We continued on our way, revisiting a few perennial favorites as we head back toward the east coast and calendar commitments. It’s been a good loop. With each adventure we learn more about what and who make up this vast country we call home. Looking forward to hitting the road again soon!

Cheers!

Sally and John